Author's note: Got too immersed in writing again, another long chapter (almost 3k words). *facepalm*

"Shit, get him!"

The bandits rushed at Xue, and Xue did the same. There were at least a dozens of bandits, but Xue seem unfazed.

Cecil hastily covered Hana's eyes, knowing that this was going to be a bloody fight. She also used her other hand to cover one of Hana's ears. Hana made a noise, protesting, but Cecil firmly kept her hands on her eyes and ear.

The bandits stood no chance against Xue. His agility, his strength and his fighting prowess, it overwhelmed all of them.

Cecil observed the bandits getting slashed and killed, collapsing down one after another. Xue's figure was just a blurry image in the crowd, but he left a horrible bloody mess in his path.

Meanwhile, all Hana could hear were the sounds of pained yells. She knew what these sounds were associated with, and she stopped resisting against Cecil's hand. She even covered the other ear with one hand, starting to tremble lightly.

Cecil glanced at Hana, sighing sadly.

At that moment, Cecil could feel slight control of her elemental powers returning to her, and she blinked in confusion.

Were a few of the lanterns destroyed by someone?

There was a bandit that snuck up to Cecil and Hana. Cecil noticed it, knowing she wouldn't able to conjure a stone wall in time, she moved away, tugging Hana along with her. However, the bandit was soon taken down by a fireball.

"Argh!"

Cecil gasped, looking at the direction the fireball was shot from.

Despite the remaining lanterns in the caverns, it didn't seem to affect Xue at all. Cecil realised her assumption was right.

The lanterns didn't affect Xue since he wasn't a human, like Veau.

"Don't you dare touch them." Xue was glaring at the bandit being burnt by the fireball.

Anyone could see how incensed Xue was, the rage was practically rolling off his body.

The bandit cried out, the searing pain was unbearable. "Ho-how did you--" he gasped out, his eyes wide in fear.

"You think those lanterns and traps would stop me?" Xue growled out, and he rushed to the bandit, killing him in an instant.

All the lanterns were broken into tiny pieces at the entrance, and they were lanterns that weren't easy to break at all. They weren't just average glass lanterns.

The traps were utterly destroyed as well, broken beyond repair.

Cecil could only imagine how angry Xue was, in order to obtain such strength to destroy everything in his path.

Xue gave his spear a swing, getting rid of the excess blood dripping down from it. He spotted one more bandit still standing, aiming his spear at him.

"You as well?"

The bandit dropped his weapon, shaking his head. He bolted out through the wooden doors that were blasted down by Xue, and Xue didn't bother to chase him down.

The bandit wasn't the priority in his mind now.

Xue turned, looking at the two women standing amidst the pile of bodies on the floor. There wasn't a single blood stain on their clothes from his fight against the bandits.

He made sure their blood didn't stain them at all.

He started to approach them, seeing Cecil trying to hide the grisly scene from Hana.

"Cecil, I think..." Hana raised her hand to Cecil's hand covering her eyes. "I think I will be okay."

"Are you sure, Hana?"

"These people...they are the bad guys," Hana nodded her head. "Xue only killed the bad guys, to protect us."

"Mhmm." Cecil agreed, lowering her hands slowly.

Whatever method helps you, Hana.

Hana inhaled deeply, slowly opening her eyes and she was taken aback, stumbling back in horror, her trembling worsened in an instant.

Cecil patted Hana on the back, trying to comfort her. It wasn't right for Hana to witness such a disturbing scene right now, but with Xue, it was something they had to get accustomed to.

Xue noticed this adverse reaction from Hana and stopped in his steps. At that moment, Hana turned to Xue, and Xue only looked back at her, a troubled frown on his face.

Once again, it was his fault.

Once again, he lost control.

"I am sorry, Hana."

Xue seemed utterly conflicted.

"...Xue, it's...okay," Hana forced a smile, glancing back at the dead bandits, cringing involuntarily. She quickly shook her head, looking away, focusing on Xue. "It's alright, you don't have to apologise. I'm...I'm okay."

Hana held on tightly onto Cecil's hand, and Cecil could still feel her trembling.

"If-if the two of you to have to cover my eyes everytime when you fight, or even stop fighting," Hana said, looking between Cecil and Xue, shaking her head. "I will only cause more trouble...and yo-you might even get hurt badly..."

Cecil was surprised at Hana's words. Never in her wildest dreams, would she imagine Hana to say those words.

Xue took a step towards Hana, until he noticed something from the corner of his eyes.

He leaped back, just as an ice sword was thrown in his direction, landing right at where his left foot was previously at.

"Not so fast," Leonaut smirked, recalling back his ice sword. "I'm still here, Xue."

"You," Xue's eyes darkened considerably, his voice utterly cold. "You took them away."

"You let me take them away." Leonaut shrugged.

Xue clicked his tongue, surging forward with his spear. Leonaut did the same with his ice sword, their weapons colliding.

Hana froze upon seeing Leonaut, and Cecil could sense the change in her. Cecil rubbed Hana smoothingly on her back, wearing a concerned frown.

The violent images in the arena flashed across her mind and Hana squeezed her eyes shut.

Her hand squeezed Cecil's hand till the point where they were becoming white. Though it hurt, Cecil didn't care.

"Hana, don't worry, I'm here." Cecil continued comforting her. "Xue is here as well."

Hana nodded, biting on her lower lip. "I'm...I'm not scared. I'm not scared. No-not scared."

Hana still held on tightly to Cecil's hand, regulating her breathing. Her trembles were still as bad.

"I...I can b-be...brave."

"Yes, you can, Hana."

Hana opened her eyes, seeing the scene of Xue and Leonaut fighting.

"I can...be brave."

"Mhmm."

Leonaut hadn't fully recovered from the previous battle, and his body was aching. Whereas, Xue was starting to feel the fatigue of searching the entire night without any proper test, albeit, he was still winning.

Hana's breathing was still rather uneven, but she wasn't hyperventilating.

Cecil squeezed Hana's hand in encouragement, and smoothing her with words.

Eventually, the bad memories back in the arena fizzled away gradually. Even though they still remained there, it wasn't haunting her mind anymore.

Her trembles started to fade away.

Though Hana still wasn't courageous enough to glance around at the dead bandits, she could at least see Leonaut without fainting.

With Cecil by her side, along with Xue's presence, it helped Hana immensely.

If Cecil and Xue weren't here, I...I don't think I would be brave enough to look at Leonaut.

I would be scared...so scared.

Hana could feel Cecil's other hand still comforting her on her back.

"Thank you, Cecil," she smiled slightly at Cecil. "I think, I am okay..."

"Are you sure?"

"If I'm not, I...I will say it."

"Okay."

The fight ended at that moment, with Xue slamming down on Leonaut's ice sword, causing it to break into pieces. His flute wasn't spared either, breaking into half, falling onto the ground noisily.

Xue didn't let Leonaut catch his breath, swiftly aiming for his neck.

"Wait, Xue!" Cecil exclaimed.

Xue halted, the tip of the spear touching Leonaut's neck, causing the skin to tear and blood proceeded to flow out.

Leonaut gasped, awaiting for his death but he was astounded when Cecil stopped it instead.

Xue stepped back, putting his spear down as spun around to look at Cecil.

"You need something from him too?" Xue frowned disapprovingly.

"It isn't me," Cecil walked towards Leonaut, narrowing her eyes at him. "It's Hana."

Leonaut was stupefied.

Without Cecil at her side anymore, Hana hopped towards Xue, hiding behind him. She peeked at Leonaut, her blue eyes showing a trace of fear.

"Wh-what does Hana need from me?" Leonaut looked between Cecil and Hana.

"An apology."

Hana and Xue were equally shocked by Cecil's answer.

"For what--" Leonaut started to say, and he realised what the apology was meant for. "Oh, for that."

Leonaut stared blankly at Hana, and Cecil was not happy with his expression.

"Leonaut, it might have been an everyday experience for you to see that," Cecil gestured to Hana who was still hiding. "But for Hana, it isn't. It was traumatic."

"The Hana I see here now, and the Hana I know in my memories, they don't seem so different now," Leonaut snorted. "They are both really weak."

Hana blinked, offended by Leonaut's words as she pouted angrily.

"I thought if I showed her something like that, she would grow stronger. I overestimated her."

Cecil furrowed her eyebrows at his words.

This soul fragment...has a really horrible way of making people grow stronger.

Xue was unhappy at Leonaut's words as well.

"If you remember Hana, and our memory, you should know how Hana is like--"

Leonaut laughed bitterly, narrowing his eyes at Xue. "Memory? Our memory? I am not you, Xue. I am my own person, my very own! I am never you! Never!"

Cecil was surprised to see Leonaut finally pouring out his feelings.

"That woman, Hana Katae?" Leonaut pointed at Hana, causing her to flinch back. "She is just a person stuffed into my head, and I was just forced to care for someone, that I've never met! Even after meeting her, it doesn't change anything! I still don't know her, at all!"

"Hana has never asked you to care for her." Xue stated.

"Of course she won't! She doesn't even know me! But because of these memories, I can't help but care for her!" Leonaut gritted his teeth. "I never wanted this! I want my own memories, my own people to care about, my own goddamned life!"

Hana stopped pouting, staring sadly at Leonaut.

"So I thought of stealing the people you treasure, Xue. And then, I will make my own memories with them, and I can call them my own feelings, and not from some bloody images replaying in my mind! Over, over and over again!" Leonaut scoffed.

"But who am I kidding, that will never happen. I am destined to become you, and not to ever exist as myself when I remembered everything! I am nothing. I am destined to be a useless shadow of someone. I am destined to not have a single person to genuinely care about--"

Cecil gave Leonaut a harsh slap on his cheek, making his head turn.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone was speechless, and Leonaut's cheek started to redden, the hand print clearly imprinted on it.

Leonaut blinked rapidly, placing his hand on his cheek, glancing to Cecil. He widened his eyes when he saw her eyes glistening with tears, dumbfounded.

"You idiot." Cecil sniffled, blinking her tears away, her voice hoarse. "I don't even know why I am crying for an idiot like you!"

She could feel the slight stinging pain on her hand for slapping Leonaut so hard.

"Wha--" Leonaut moved his hand away from his cheek, feeling indignant. "You slapped me--"

"To wake you up."

"What do I need to wake up for?!"

"If you had stopped obsessing over your own existence as who you are, or why you were even existing," Cecil inhaled shakily, her eyes still brimming with tears. "You could have spend that time exploring the world and finding people you would genuinely care about!"

Leonaut was stunned.

When he first recovered his memories, he was only a young boy. From then on, it was according to what Cecil said, he had started to grow obsessed over his own existence and his purpose of existing.

He had planned for years and years, what he would do to take over Xue, to become another Xue, to become his own person. He would plan and scrap many ideas, and somehow he ended up becoming a bandit.

He wasn't like Xue.

He wouldn't become like Xue.

He is not Xue.

...but he is Xue.

"The only reason you are in such a position right now, it's because you put yourself in it! No one forced you to become the way you did!" Cecil criticised, and anyone could hear the anger in her voice. "Look at yourself first before blaming it on others!"

All of them were silent as they stared at Cecil, who was huffing angrily.

"..."

Without any warning, Leonaut's hazel eyes started to well up, and a tear rolled down his face. He flinched, wiping the tear away as he stared at his hand.

He then stared at Cecil's angry, reddened eyes.

"An apology."

The words Cecil said replayed in his mind, and he stiffened.

This apology wasn't from being Xue.

It wasn't from having the memories of Hana.

It was his mistake, that was nothing related to Xue.

He approached Hana who was still hiding behind Xue.

Hana flinched when Leonaut neared her, but at least, she didn't run away.

Xue didn't move, observing Leonaut silently.

Leonaut wiped his remaining tears away, appearing somewhat guilty.

"Hana, I..."

"..."

"I am sorry, Hana, for what I did to you." Leonaut apologised sincerely. "It was my mistake, what I did was...very awful."

Hana regarded Leonaut cautiously at first, until she heard his apology.

"That's okay," Hana smiled back, her voice holding a tinge of fear. "I-I am sorry for calling you by the wrong name, Leonaut."

"...you don't have to be, it's fine now."

"Yo-you may be Xue," Hana stopped hiding behind Xue, speaking to Leonaut confidently. "But you are Leonaut too!"

"Thanks." Leonaut smiled wryly.

Hearing the exchange behind her, Cecil felt as if a heavy burden has been lifted off her shoulders. She rubbed at her eyes, inhaling shakily and she approached them.

"Leonaut, now, it's your choice if you want to fight to your death," Cecil stated, clearing her throat, her voice still slightly hoarse. "Or to let Xue absorb your soul immediately."

Leonaut turned around, raising his eyebrows. "What if I ran away?"

"I won't stop you," Cecil stared at Leonaut. "But Xue will still catch you to absorb your soul."

"Definitely." Xue agreed instantly.

"See?" Cecil shrugged.

"Fine," Leonaut sighed. "Give me a moment to think."

"Are you okay with that, Xue?" Cecil questioned, spinning around to look at Xue.

Xue gazed at Cecil, and he could see the silent pleading in her eyes. Even Hana was giving him those eyes.

Xue felt helpless.

These ladies were too forgiving.

"Just make it quick." Xue replied begrudgingly.

Cecil turned back, looking at Leonaut. "You heard him."

Leonaut gazed down at the woman in front of him, her limpid eyes as clear as day, even seeing his own reflection in them. Her onyx pupils were pulling him in, and if he could, he would choose to drown in them forever.

Despite her messy state of her torn and dirtied dress, Leonaut still found her uncomparingly beautiful.

Cecil tilted her head, realising Leonaut's odd gaze on her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"...do you really think it was possible for me, to find someone I will genuinely care about?"

"Definitely," Cecil smiled widely before becoming stern. "If you weren't such a horrible bandit."

It was his first time seeing a full-blown smile from a woman. His breathing hitched and he could feel his heart drumming loudly in his chest.

He could still see the faint trace of redness around her eyes, and recalled how she cried for an idiot like him earlier.

Leonaut could feel something fluttering within his chest.

He has never been called an idiot before, no one dared to.

And no woman has ever made him shed a tear, or even shed a tear for him.

He had never felt this touched by someone, and by someone he clearly doesn't deserve.

Cecil Lan was the very first...and the very last to touch his heart.

Cecil was about to ask why he went quiet, when she heard a beeping noise in her head.

A notification from the system? At such a timing?

[ Secret Mission #4: Leonaut, the Bandit
Objective : Assist Xue in assimilating with his sixth fragment, Leonaut.
Clue : You have touched the heart of this bad boy, and you are the first person to openly call him an idiot.
Time limit : 1 hour
Reward : 2900 points ]

Cecil read the first few words of the notifications.

She wanted to faint.

It was yet another secret mission.

***

Pt. 1

《 start 》

Cecil Lan.

I see no point in denying it.

I...I like you.

Even though I've just met you, I really do like you.

I understand now, why Xue had prioritised someone like you over Hana.

If I had met you earlier...I wonder how different things would have been.

...but I'm glad to have met you either way.

《 stop 》

***

Pt. 2

《 start 》

Why are you stopping me again?

Is it for my sake again--

...it's for Hana?

...

Why are you crying for him?

Why are you taking so long to talk to him?

Why are you looking at him so much?

...I can't believe I'm getting this jealous over my own soul fragment.

This jealousy is getting annoying, and the only way to stop it...is to stop liking you.

But I...

I do not ever want to do that.

《 stop 》